Mission To Midgar
by Boxboxboxboxboxhxjxhysdhfjfjdh
Summary: SOLDIERS in Midgar have been disappearing left and right   and forward and back  . As usual, Sephiroth and Zack are sent to investigate.


**Note: I do not own Final Fantasy or the characters **

**This story popped up in my head then sorta...died -.-'**

**Mission To Midgar**

Zack parried the blow with ease.

The bunch of goons he was facing didn't stand a chance. He smirked with satisfaction as the last one fell, due to The Mighty Power Of Zack!

"Well that was easy," He remarked.

He froze as a voice whispered into his ear, "I believe you're not quite done."

Something slammed into the back of his head, hard.

Sephiroth frowned. Where was Zack? He should have been here 20 minutes ago. Zack was not an organized person, and he occasionally made horrible jokes, but most of the time, he was punctual.

They were in Midgar, due to some baffling reports of people disappearing, nowhere to be found again. Several 3rd and 2nd class SOLDIERS were sent to investigate, but they too, had disappeared.

Upon arriving at Midgar, he and Zack decided to split up, and meet again to report their findings. He had been attacked more than once, by strange people with a crazed look in their eyes. He'd disarmed them of their weapons, and tried to get them to talk, demanding to know what had happened to the villagers and the SOLDIERS who'd vanished.

But each of them only shook their heads, smiling. And died.

What bothered him is how they had done it. How had all of them just died, and so suddenly? Did they have a poisonous capsule, hidden somewhere in their mouth? He wasn't sure.

Zack has now 30 minutes late. Frowning again, he wondered for the first time if Zack had got lost. It was a possibility, of course, but so out of character. Zack never got lost. Never.

He decided to give Zack 5 more minutes before sending out search parties.

Tilting his head back to let the cool night wind wash over him, he wondered what had happened to his best friend.

Zack woke to a cold splash of water in his face.

He slowly opened his eyes, and took in his surroundings.

Everything was dark, and the ground was cold. He was in what appeared to be...a basement? It was hard to tell, because a man who looked to be about in his 30's was blocking his view.

The man leered. "Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class, age 19, and the Great Generals one and only best friend."

He blinked. What was he supposed to say to that?

The man continued. "Wondering why I've dragged your heavy, no use weight, all across town?" A blade appeared in Zack's face with a flick of his hand. He slashed the knife across his cheek, viciously.

"Hey, watch that thing. It's sharp!" He exclaimed.

Growling, the man took another swipe at him. Zack ducked, and kicked out with his legs. They connected with knees and while the other man crumpled, Zack sprang to his feet, his mind going into overdrive, searching for a way out.

But the other "thugs" as Zack liked to call them, had heard their boss cry out, and came running.

Since Zack's hands were tied behind his back, fighting was going to take _a little extra effort._

* * *

><p>Sephiroth's phone beeped. He immediately flipped it open. "<em>One New Message,"<em> his screen read. It was from Zack's phone.

_factory at the edge of town. One hour._

He frowned. He knew the message was not from Zack. Who was it, then? But at the time, it did not matter. Whoever this person was, they had Zack, and knowing his best friend, he had probably already done something to piss his captor off.

Therefore he had no time to waste.

Beaten down, he leaned against the wall with a groan. "_I__magine this,"_ he thought with a laugh, "_First class Zack, Second in command, needs help from a wall to stand!"_

"Alright, that's enough," The man said, satisfied after watching Zack get punched in the face repeatedly, "Leave us."

The "thugs" complied, and they filed out. But one of them darted back for a final kick, and Zack howled before the guy had even kicked him.

With a look of sadistic glee on his face, the "big boss" as Zack decided to name him, loomed over the wary First Class.

Zack noticed his eyes were not entirely focused, as if there were something else besides reality vying for his attention.

"Um. Why didn't you kill me already?" Zack inquired.

"The timing. It has to be _just._"

He narrowed his eyes. _"What the hell?" _he thought, "_This guy's crazy."_

Zack perked up as he heard a crash from above, followed by a familiar grunt. That was Seph, coming to get him. It _had_ to be! "Yea!" he cheered, "Go Seph!"

He was so focused on this, he didn't even notice the man pull out his gun until he was shot.

* * *

><p>The General barged through the set of hired muscle with no sweat. Kicking open the basement door effortlessly, he raced down the stairs, only to freeze at the bottom.<p>

Red was everywhere.

It was splattered carelessly all over the walls, floors and ceiling.

On one particular wall though, a distinct word shone out like a beacon to him, framing a crumpled figure.

_"Sephiroth"_

It was written in blood.

And the crumpled figure...it could not possibly be... Zack.

His face was so pale, so clammy, his chest was covered in blood.

A sickening feeling tore through him.

_"I did this," _he thought, _"It was _me _they were after. They hurt Zack to get to me..."_

He was such a fool, to let Zack get close to him. Now they would both pay.

Fingers moving automatically, he felt for a pulse. A moment of fleeting panic and he felt it, steady and strong, but slowing dramatically.

Sephiroth quickly cut off a section of his jacket, tying and securing it around Zack's torso, as a makeshift bandage.

He then hoisted Zack up, ever so gently as if he might fall apart, and sprinted for the exit.

Back at the Midgar Hospital For SOLDIERS, Sephiroth paced back and forth, outside of the room Zack was in.

Lookin through the window, he could see the doctors hovering over Zack, hooking up monitors and trying to keep him alive. Judging by their expressions, things were not going well.

Sephiroth had tried to think about what would happen if Zack died. Things would go back to normal after a while, he supposed, but inside, he'd never get over Zack's death.

In truth, he felt like Zack had been his only friend. Genesis had always been jealous and Angeal had abandoned ShinRa and Sephiroth in the end.

Zack seemed to be his only source of light.

If he lost that light, well, he would once again be the lonely, aloof and cold General Sephiroth, for the rest of his life.

No one would replace Zack.

After some while, Seohiroth glanced up as a nurse timidly approached him. Though from all his experience, he could not make sense of her expression.

At last, she spoke. "Commander Fair will be just fine, sir, but..."

He raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "But...?"

She cleared her throat nervously. The nurse had heard rumors of the General's temper, and never witnessing it firsthand, she would be unprepared if the General did not take the news well. "You see... Commander Fair suffered several blows to the head and... He might have a temporary or permanent case of amnesia depending on whether-"

Sephiroth pushed past her, cutting the nurse off.

He burst into Zack's hospital room. Zack was lying on the hospital bed, head propped Comfortably by pillows. His violet eyes were wide open and took no notice of Seohiroth as he approached the bed. Would Zack remember him, or would they have to start their friendship all over again?

"Zack?"

The First Class looked up at the sound of his name. Sephiroth peered into his bright mako eyes, but found no recognition there.

Zack smiled politely. "Hi, who are you? Wow, I think your hair is taller than me!"

Sephiroth winced inwardly. So Zack didn't remember him. And that hurt him in ways that Made his heart ache and his stomach feel hollow. He spoke cautiously, half-hoping Zack would suddenly burrs out laughing, saying, "Gotcha!"

No such luck. "So you don't remember me?"

Zack paused. "Nope, no clue. Sorry."

Sephiroth studied the other's expression. No, this was no joke, and Zack really did look apologetic.

That was _it_, he couldn't take it.

Not being able to stand the blank slate that was on Zack's face, he swept out of the room.

Zack blinked in confusion. What had just happened? Why had the man just left- without even introducing himself? He had also noticed the pained expression that flickered across his face when Zack had said he didn't recognize him, though the other man tried not to show it, and quickly blanked his expression soon after.

Well, he _was_ telling the truth! He didn't recognize him at all!

But... There _was_ something familiar about the way he moved, the way he looked, the way he talked. Even the way he had tried to Jose his expressions, it was all so-

His train of thought stopped short. Desperately, Zack grabbed at his incomplete thoughts. He had been thinking of a name-he was {sure} of it.

But as quickly as it had come, it had gone.

The nurse taking care of him had explained to him about varying degrees of amnesia, blah, blah,blah.

He closed his eyes, feeling quite tired.

And dreamed.

_He was standing in flames. The man with long silver hair stood before him, his expression impassive._

_Suddenly, Zack felt an unbearable amount of pressure decending down on his mind._

_He fell to his knees with a cry, clutching his head._

_"Seph," he gasped, "please!"_

_Seph... So that was his name?_

_Seph smiled- a smile he did not recognize._

_"You did not join me, Zack," Zack recoiled at the sound of his name._

_"You turned your back on me in my time of need," he continued, " You are no different then the rest of them. And this. Is. Your. Punishment."_

_He then drew a long sword, seemingly out of nowhere._

_Where did he keep the sword when he didn't need it?_

_Seph plunged the sword-straight through Zack's heart._

_He did not know why, but it hurt him more than it should've._

_As he screamed in agony, Seph turned his back toward him, and walked steadily away from him, heading deeper into the flames._

* * *

><p>Sephiroth lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had never felt <em>so stupid!<em> How could he have run out of the hospital room- like a little girl? And with the nurse watching, too.

Sure, he _had_ been hurt when Zack hadn't recognized him but _why_ had he been so hurt?

He shouldn't have felt hurt, that was the problem. He wasn't allowed to feel hurt. He was a General, after all, devoid of any emotion and only straight, simple logic.

"_You're not a robot!" _Zack would have chided.

No, Sephiroth supposed he was not a robot- but sometimes he resented feeling so... _human._

He rolled over on his side, trying to find a more comfortable position.

What if Zack did not regain his memory? They could start over and become friends once again, but things wouldn't be the same. Zack would not remember all the mission he and Sephiroth had went on, and more importantly, he wouldn't remember Angeal, and what had happened to him. Thus making him a different person, more laid-back and carefree.

Sephiroth wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Perhaps that was for the best...


End file.
